


Companionship

by ClaireKat



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, One Shot, heavier on character analysis and introspection than plot, just a gen piece to get myself back into the swing of things
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-20
Updated: 2019-02-20
Packaged: 2019-11-01 12:02:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 830
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17866886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ClaireKat/pseuds/ClaireKat
Summary: When the young prince encounters the possibility of gaining a new companion, he has to weigh his options carefully, because making the wrong choice could spell disaster for them both.





	Companionship

**Author's Note:**

> Quite a dramatic summary for a…well, I guess the fic is dramatic too, but on the surface it doesn’t feel like it should be. Just a kind of analytical piece about Lotor’s character and what it was like when he first got Kova! Honestly I can’t recall the specific details for the scene where he gets him in show, I just know it was after a hearing with Zarkon and he told Haggar off that he was taking the cat. So I just kind of…expanded on that kind of thing, it’s a little short but I’m also more than a little rust at writing gen stuff like this, so ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯ this is just something I wanted to share. Thank you for reading and I hope you enjoy!

He never could have predicted just how much the mysterious creature would eventually come to mean to him. It wasn’t something he’d considered before; such a notion was one of the furthest things from his mind until that fateful day. In the midst of his confusing and isolated upbringing, there was an instance where the two of them crossed paths that stood out to him, that impacted him with a greater intensity than any of their previous exchanges had.

He claimed custody of the peculiar creature on a whim, his perspective of the fluffy being taking a new form the moment it rubbed up against him so affectionately. Surely a simple bump on the leg couldn’t be that meaningful, but there was an atmosphere, a feeling connected to this gesture that transcended any other interactions they’d had since they’d met. It seemed quite out of character, but the prince wasn’t opposed to this kind of display. Far from it, really, since he rarely had the opportunity to experience any kind of positive physical contact. He’d never admit that he minded such a thing, that he thought of it at all, because that was a clear sign of weakness. He was already playing a risky game by allowing himself to feel any kind of fondness in the moment at all. Anything he showed even a hint of partiality towards was never permitted to exist for long.

The cat had a shrewd face and multicolored coat, although that wasn’t very uncommon for the animals that inhabited this corner of the cosmos. In all honesty, he’d always had a soft spot for such creatures, or rather just a soft spot in general. And that vulnerability was a detriment to him, a constant threat due to the superiors whose eyes were always bearing down on him in scrutiny. It had approached him without so much as a growl or glare, apparently recognizing something in him that it’d been oblivious to before. Or perhaps it had just changed its mind about him, for whatever reason, and Lotor figured he might be able to exploit such kindness. If it appeared that the creature came to him instead of him being the one to seek it out, surely the attachment couldn’t be interpreted as originating from him. If it did, he didn’t know what sort of cruel fate was liable to befall the poor thing.

It’d served as the witch’s shadow for as long as he could remember, so even if it was taken from him, there was still a slim chance it would just be safely returned to her. That vague reassurance was enough to encourage him to act on his impulse. Maybe he was being coerced by his desperate and damaged emotional state, the withering and neglected husk of his self-worth that even he’d grown accustomed to trampling on just as everyone else did. Sure, there was still a part of him that wanted to succeed, that wanted to prove that he could rise above the petty expectations that’d been thrust upon him from birth. But there was also a part of him that knew he’d never be able to claw his way up from the bottom, that the threshold of achievement would never stop advancing in a manner that ensured it constantly remained just out of reach.

Bending down to allow the creature to perch on his shoulders, the young prince declared that he was taking it into his care. The witch was about to object, to demand that he return it, but this was the perfect opportunity for him to demonstrate his conviction and authority. If his father wanted him to be above everyone else (other than himself…) than this was just the kind of situation he could use to prove that he could be. Putting his foot down, voice ringing with contempt and the weight of his royal status, he reiterated his decree and took his leave with the cat contently settled around his neck.

This was the start of a beautiful partnership, the prince felt, or at least he hoped it would be. There was little he _could_ hope for in terms of companionship of any kind; that’s how things had always been around here. Even if it wasn’t the most suitable partner, the fact that it could serve as one in any capacity was a kind of miracle. Whatever it was that had brought them together on that seemingly ordinary day, Lotor wasn’t going to question or challenge it. He couldn’t afford to be picky about the scarce circumstances that presented themselves to him like this, promising him something that he never would have been able to gain otherwise. It may have been nothing more than a finicky, bothersome animal, but to him it was a new possibility. A gift that had happened to approach him seeking acceptance, and who was he to deny it, being someone that understood the depth of the harsh loneliness that such rejection could instill?


End file.
